PHOTO: Navi Pillay (third from right), UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, poses for a group photo with South Sudanese women from Jonglei State who shared stories about their experiences with human rights violations, including violence, child abduction, and forced marriage. UN Photo/Elizabeth Murekio

A woman was recently elected as a senior chief in South Sudan – a not unheard of, but very unusual occurrence. This surely a positive change in a country ravaged by civil war and attendant sexual violence.

Rebecca Nyandier Chatim is now head chief of the Nuer ethnic group in the United Nations Protection of Civilians site (PoC) in Juba, where more than 38,000 people have sought sanctuary with United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) peacekeepers. Her victory is of symbolic and practical importance.

South Sudan’s chiefs wield real power, even during wartime. They administer customary laws that can resolve local disputes but also reinforce gender differences and inequalities, to the advantage of the military elite.

So could a female chief work towards changing this? Admittedly, even if the new female chief is determined to effect change — which remains to be seen — the odds are against her. The chief and her community are vulnerable, displaced persons, living in a sort of internal refugee camp, guarded by UN peacekeepers. Fighting and atrocities have continued outside, especially in the devastated homelands of the Nuer people. But the new chief has the support of the former head chief and a group of male paralegals, who have celebrated her victory as an advance for gender equality. Together, they might make a difference.

Venezuela sits on the world’s biggest oil reserves, but in terms of GDP growth per capita, it’s now South America’s poorest economy. It is mired the worst economic crisis in its history, with an inflation rate in the region of 500%, a volatile exchange rate, and crippling debts that have increased fivefold since 2006.

The economic crisis is inflaming a longstanding “economic war” between the government and the business sector – and a dangerous cycle of protest and repression is further polarising Venezuela’s already divided society.

In this scenario, violence of all sorts is approaching what could be a point of no return. The very ability of democracy to combine forces of transformation and resistance is at stake.

Caesarean sections have been lifesaving procedures for hundreds of thousands of women across the world who experience complications during labour.

Globally, it’s estimated that just under 20% of births take place via caesarean section – a percentage that’s gone up over the last three decades. This has raised concerns, particularly in high-income countries where generally too many caesarean sections are performed.

But in many African countries women who are medically required to have caesarean sections are not able to access them. This is due to several reasons, the most prominent being weak health systems and a lack of resources.

This needs to be fixed as women in sub-Saharan African suffer from the highest maternal mortality ratio in the world. Close to 550 women die for every 100 000 children that are born. This amounts to 200 000 maternal deaths a year – or two-thirds of all maternal deaths per year worldwide.

Mother’s Day is the perfect holiday to splurge on the moms in your life as well as to support moms around the world. It’s a day to show love for mothers we know and to also remain mindful of the mothers everywhere who may need a little or even a lot of help for them and their families.

In a political climate where more and more US funding is being stalled or even cut for maternal and reproductive health globally, these gifts can help mothers in more ways than you might realize.

Here are organizations we believe in and help mothers survive pregnancy and childbirth.

Photo: Midwives for Haiti

Midwives for Haiti: After spending time in Haiti with Midwives for Haiti a few years ago and seeing the amazing care they provide for poor, rural expecting Haitian women, I cannot recommend donating to them enough! Midwives for Haiti’s mobile clinic gives Haitian women the opportunity to receive quality maternal health care without having to walk for hours for antenatal appointments.

Midwives for Haiti is currently in the midst of a fundraiser for its mobile clinic. $10 provides care for one mom. Donate for Mother’s Day and help them reach their $60,000 goal by May 15.

Jacaranda Health: Jacaranda Health is providing expectant mothers in Kenya with great maternity care. In fact, Jacaranda Health just received distinction as one of the highest quality maternity care providers in East Africa.

Every Mother Counts:Every Mother Counts has a wonderful Mother’s Day fundraiser going on their website where you can buy wonderful gifts and a portion of the net proceeds goes directly to saving women’s lives while they’re pregnant.

Using the universal symbol of maternal health, the orange rose, Every Mother Counts has launched its Mother’s Day Orange Rose collection with partners including Tom’s, Minted, and Marc Jacobs and

Dutch Chocolate

Tony’s Chocolonely

We wrote about Tony’s Chocolonely the other day and wanted to also include them again in our Mother’s Day gift guide. Tony’s Chocolonely offers slave-free chocolate. Not only is it ethical chocolate, it’s also delicious! Tony’s Chocolonely offers two different sizes and seven flavors. Buy your mom chocolate for Mother’s Day.

GIVEAWAY: Win Elevita’s Best Bag Ever Made By Cambodian Artisans

Elevita is on a mission to alleviate poverty worldwide by helping artisans in developing countries find a greater world market for their products. Visit Elevita to read more about their mission and to see their artisan wares.

Thank you for sharing our work.

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Social Good Moms is a one-of-a-kind global coalition of 3000+ mom bloggers who currently span twenty countries who care about spreading the good news about the amazing work nonprofit organizations and NGOs are doing around the world. Read more about us, how we work, and how to work with us.

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Our Global Health Reporting

Women in low-and-middle-income countries need clean birth kits in order to stave off deadly infections in themselves and their newborns. This is the case not only during home births with midwives but also in institutionalized settings.

Zubaida Bai, founder of Ayzh, a social enterprise that creates clean, safe birthing kits for women as well as reproductive, newborn and adolescent kits, discusses how she included women’s voices in the development of clean birthing kits.

I am convinced that in order for maternal health interventions to work anywhere in the world, women must be consulted first as opposed to NGOs and charities developing products for women without their input. Bai expresses this brilliantly in this recent TED talk.

“Whoever makes up the next Government has a moral obligation to work with the EU to restart the rescue. Every migrant child’s death is a stain on Europe’s conscience. How many thousands must die this summer before Europe acts?” – Justin Forsyth, Save the Children CEO.